Adoption
by the lazy way
Summary: Years after the events of City of Heavenly Fire, Magnus and Alec think they're ready to start a family. This is just your average story of a warlock and shadowhunter going through the open adoption process. Well, I guess that's NOT your average story.
1. Chapter 1

"Alexander, I love you, but if you don't get in here right this second, I swear to god I'll bedazzle all your shirts while you're sleeping!" Magnus yelled, his hand firmly held over speaker of the apartment's phone.

Alec tore his eyes away from the book he was reading, raising a curious eyebrow at the sound of his partner's voice. He opened his mouth to question Magnus, but the latter man called out Alec's name again, stopping him. Not wanting to risk sparkly pullovers, he slipped off the bed and padded out of the bedroom, abandoning his book on the duvet.

"Hey, what-" Alec hardly got the words out before Magnus was holding a finger to his lips, indicating him to be quiet. Alec narrowed his eyes at the warlock, but joined him at his side. Magnus looped his arm around Alec's waist and pulled him close, holding the phone up between their ears so they could both hear.

" . . . be visiting New York next week, so I thought perhaps that'd be a good time to meet." Alec's eyes widened at the sound of the woman's voice, but didn't say anything himself. "I was born with the Sight, so I think there's a very good chance the baby will have it too. That's why I think you two would make the perfect couple."

Alec's eyes flew to Magnus, who had a smirk across his lips. _Baby? _Alec mouthed. Magnus grinned, and planted a quick kiss on the other man's jaw.

Alec was stunned. They'd been looking into adoption for years. Both had been a little hesitant, at first, but had overall warmed up to the idea. Eager, even. The fact that they couldn't find a mother that completely matched their specifications had been more than frustrating. But now they were planning to _meet with _someone about an adoption? That was one step further than they've ever gotten!

"Thank you," Magnus responded, not sounded at all as fazed as Alec felt. "Next week would be perfect. Call us again whenever you are able to clear a good time to meet us. Alright, thank you again. Bye now." Magnus pulled the phone away from their ears and hit the off button, before returning it to the hook on the wall.

"Was . . . what just happened?" Alec asked in shock, a surprised laugh half interrupting his question. Magnus was smiling like an idiot, his cat eyes gleaming.

"I think," He said, grabbing Alec's hands. "we just agreed to be interviewed for an adoption."

Alec opened his mouth, trying to think of something to say. He couldn't think of anything. They'd just taken one step closer to becoming parents.

"By the Angel . . . Magnus this is . . ." Alec was laughing, the sound of it was excited and . . . relieved. An odd combination. Just like Alec and Magnus. Alec threw his arms around his warlock's neck, much to the surprise of the latter. He stumbled, throw off by the sudden weight change, and his back bumped into the counter. Laughing as well, Magnus returned Alec's embrace, and started swaying them from side to side.

Alec buried his head in Magnus's neck, trying to calm himself down. He could be a father soon. _Magnus_ could be a father soon. If the interview went well, they could be parents! They could have a kid- a beautiful, perfect kid. _Their _kid- a living, breathing, child whom they'd love. Alec could already imagine Magnus sprinkling hair glitter into a little girl's pigtails, or Alec teaching her how to properly shoot a bow. Maybe Magnus would amaze a little boy with his magic, and Alec would happily show him off to the rest of his family.

He could already imagine their little, beautiful family.

"This is unbelievable." Alec finished quietly, pulling Magnus closer to him. The warlock chuckled deeply, and rested his cheek on the top of Alec's head.

"I know." He muttered; his voice full of something Alec couldn't quite place. It was close to love, but filled with want and hopefulness as well. Alec pulled back a little, smiling, and looped his fingers through Magnus's belt loops.

"You have to remember," Magnus said, his voice suddenly very serious. "Nothings set in stone yet. She just agreed to meet us. If she changes her mind, then-"

Alec stopped him mid-sentence with a sudden kiss. "Nothing's set in stone yet," he parroted when he pulled away. "Maybe you're right- maybe she'll hate us. But maybe she'll love us instead. She might think we're the best parents ever. There's only one way to find out."

Magnus smirked down at Alec. "Alright," He mumbled, curling his fingers around Alec's belt loops, so they were both holding onto each other at the hips. He leaned back against the counter and pulled Alec closer.

Alec leaned his head against Magnus's chest in order to hide his sudden foolish grin.

"We could be parents soon." Alec whispered. He turned his eyes upwards, even though he knew Magnus couldn't see his face from his angle. He waited. Magnus seemed to relax against the counter, and with a content sigh, wrapped his arms around Alec tightly.

"I know." Magnus breathed. He wasn't sure what to feel- but none of his emotions were bad. He was sure some fears would turn up eventually. _Of course_ they would. But for now, they were non-existent. He was just happy.

Magnus cupped Alec's chin, and lifted it so their eyes met. They just stared at each other for a moment, thinking.

"I love you." Magnus breathed, lightly brushing his thump over Alec's bottom lip. Despite being married for nearly four years, Alec's heart stuttered at the gesture.

"I know." Alec whispered, leaning into Magnus a little more. Alec lifted one of his hands to Magnus's head, and knotted his fingers in the warlock's hair, pulling his face closer to his own. Magnus moved one of his hands to the back of blue-eyed man's neck.

Alec pulled Magnus's face closer, took a quick breath before he pressed his lips against Magnus's. Magnus smiled against his lips, and eagerly returned the kiss, moving one hand behind himself to hold onto the kitchen counter.

"You know, we probably can't do this with a kid running around." Magnus reminded between kisses.

"They won't be able to run the first year or so." Alec added, tugging on one of Magnus's earlobes playfully.

Nuzzling Alec's nose with his own, Magnus mumbled; "Funny." Then he brought his lips back to his partner's. Alec chuckled under Magnus's lips, and shivered as Magnus traced a finger along Alec's neck- outlining a rune, he realized.

"I love you too." Alec whispered finally, returning once again to their earlier comments. Magnus pulled back, much to Alec's disappointment. Magnus raised a dark eyebrow, and bit his lip before he spoke.

"I know." He smirked.

* * *

"Alec, it'll be fine," Magnus urged, not for the first time. Alec all but ignored him- he picked up a pillow off the sofa, fluffed it, and then returned it to his place. He tucked a longer strand of his hair behind his ear, and then suddenly paused. He glanced up at Magnus.

"Do you think my hair looks too shaggy?"

Magnus raised a dark eyebrow. "I think it looks cute." He reached for his partner, but Alec whirled around, much to the warlock's surprise.

Stalking towards the bathroom, the shadowhunter continued muttering; "Dammit."

Magnus blinked in confusion. "What? That was supposed to be a compliment!" He yelled after him, feeling disappointed that his embrace had been ignored.

"I don't want to look _cute_," Alec yelled back from the bathroom. "I want to look clean. Fatherly. You know; someone you'd want your unborn kid to be raised by?"

Ever since the possible-mother-of-their-future-child agreed to meet them, Alec had been extremely stressed. After the overall joy had worn off . . . he'd thrown himself into preparing for her arrival. He'd tucked every weapon away, hidden all of Magnus's potions and spell books. Despite knowing the mundane had the Sight and already knew everything about the shadow world, Alec would take no chances. He wanted to make a good impression, and he didn't think seraph blades hanging on the wall would do that.

Magnus huffed in amusement, and heard the water suddenly be turned on. "You know," He called, trying to make his voice casual to annoy Alec. "You don't exactly look fatherly when you're covered head-to-toe in tattoos."

"Says the man with a rainbow belt and sparkles in his hair." Alec chirped back, turning the water off.

"Ouch," Magnus exclaimed, staggering backwards as if he'd been struck. "I think you just went too far." Magnus touched his chest, and a fake insulted look crossed his features. "Seriously, you might have just ruined our marriage. I might as well divorce you right now." Alec gave him a look as he exited the bathroom, and Magnus's fake expression quickly shifted.

"Whoa," He said, dropping his hands to his side.

"What?" Alec asked in a concerned voice, tugging self-consciously on the sleeve of his black sweater. Magnus grinned slightly at how the tugging on his sleeve revealed more of his partner's collarbone, and stepped closer to Alec.

Brushing a finger over Alec's cheek, Magnus tilted his head. "I can actually see your face." He said, a hint of sarcasm entering his tone. Yes, he'd always been able to see Alec's face. But today, he had used Magnus's gel and slicked it back, out of his eyes. It didn't hang on either side of his face, so he didn't look so . . . hidden. Water droplets fell from the ends of his dark hair, and left little dark spots on his back.

"Ha, ha," Alec said, sarcasm more obvious in his tone than it had been in Magnus's. He tried to step away from Magnus and get back to his obsessive cleaning, but the other man caught his elbow and held him still.

"Hey," Magnus said softly, moving his hands up Alec's arms until they rested on his shoulders. "Everything will be fine. I promise- there's absolutely nothing to worry about. If things go good, great. If things don't-" Magnus shrugged nonchalantly. "-what's there to lose?"

"Well, we could lose our kid."

Magnus planted a quick kiss on Alec's forehead. "Don't count your chickens before they hatch. Trust me, Alexander, everything will be fine. I'm sure she'll love us." He finally released the shadowhunter, and turned to admire their apartment. "On a different note, have you seen the chairman?"

While Magnus went on a hunt to find his cat, Alec started pacing. What if she _didn't_ like them? What if she didn't like _them_ being _them together_? She knew they were both males, right? God- Alec hated thinking about her as "she." Had Magnus ever actually told Alec the woman's name?

"Hey Mag-" The irritating buzz of the bell sounded, freezing Alec mid-sentence. _She's here_! "Magnus!" Alec called, louder, as he rushed over to the buzzer. He pressed the button, heart beating fast, and quickly spoke.

"Hello?"

"Hi. Um . . . I'm here to see Magnus and Alec Bane?"

"Of course. Come right up."

Alec buzzed her through, and could hear her climbing the stairs outside the door. _Oh god_, he thought. _Did I sound stupid_? _She knew my name, I should've known hers_. How embarrassing.

Alec ran a hand through his hair and let out a large breath as the mystery woman's footfalls got louder on the stairs. _This is the woman who could be the mother of our kid_, Alec worriedly noted.

She knocked on the door once, a polite tap. Alec's heart dropped into his stomach, and his breathing quickened She knocked on the door once more, a tad louder, before he found the courage to reach for the doorknob. He twisted and pulled the door opening, revealing a young smiling woman. Almost against his own will, Alec gave her a once over.

She was thin but curvy. Her height, admittedly, wasn't much- she was short, and reminded Alec of Clary. Her hair, a light caramel brown, was tied off her face in a loose bun. She looked young, he noted dumbly. Around the age Magnus physically was- no older than twenty.

"Hi," She said politely, holding one hand out. "I'm Natalie Paul. You must be Alec."

Alec took her hand and shook it, smiling at the girl. "Yep, that's me. Please, come inside." He pushed the door opened wider, and moved sideways so she had room to move past. She nodded at him in thanks, and walked forward into the apartment.

Alec watched as Natalie admired the apartment. She offered compliments about some of Magnus's random knick knacks, and accepted when Alec offered her some coffee. He noticed how her hand was constantly hovering over her still-basically-flat stomach, as if she were afraid to touch it but didn't want to ignore it.

"Sugar? Milk?" Alec offered, handing the girl a steaming mug. She shook her head, and smiled at him sheepishly.

"No, thank you." She sipped carefully, wincing when it burned her tongue.

The conversation faltered for a second. Alec didn't know what to say, what to ask. _Hi, how's the baby doing_? That seemed weird- if he questioned it differently it'd probably be more acceptable, but still . . . And Alec was surprised by how difficult it was to avoid looking at Natalie's stomach. A kid- _his _kid, hopefully- was in there. It was weird to think about.

Magnus suddenly returned from the bedroom, closing the door behind him. He brightened when he saw Natalie sitting on the couch and strode over quickly.

"Natalie!" He exclaimed, as if they were old friends. "It's such a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for coming out, it means the world to us." Magnus nodded his head in Alec's direction, but then quickly turned back to the girl.

"So how are you?" He asked, diving into a charming conversation as he sunk into the chair across from her. Natalie blinked, a bit surprised by his friendliness, but grinned.

"I'm fine. And you?"

* * *

So began the conversation. Despite Alec's fears, it wasn't as much an interview as a nice conversation. Natalie was born in New York. Her father died in a car accident not too long after that. Her mother, whom had the Sight, worked at Beth Israel hospital with Catarina Loss. Natalie herself has the Sight, and knew many downworlders. Catarina, in fact, was the one to confirm the girl's pregnancy- which was seven weeks in. Natalie had moved to a town outside of the city, so she could attend school but stay close to her mother. Natalie broke up with her boyfriend after he learned she was pregnant- that's why she decided to put the baby up for adoption. Of course, a few other factors came into play as well. Natalie's boyfriend did offer his family's health records, though, which was good.

She was willing to have an open adoption if they were, which, of course, they were.

"I am meeting with a few more people while I'm here," Natalie admitted. Magnus and Alec both nodded. They'd expected as much. "But," She continued, brightly. "I really do think you two would be great parents."

Alec and Magnus both seemed to relax then. Magnus brushed his thumb over Alec's knuckles, and the shadowhunter smiled back at him.

"Oh wow," Natalie mumbled, glancing down at her watch, and then at the clock hanging on the wall. "It's already four. I'm meeting my mom in an hour. I have to get going."

Natalie rose to her feet, and Magnus and Alec hurried to follow suit. She held out her hand for another round of shakes, before picking her bag up from the couch.

"You know," She said, as the men walked her to the door. "I'm sure my mother would love to meet you two. Maybe we could schedule lunch, one day?"

"Of course," Alec responded, not giving Magnus a chance to. "That'd be great. Just call us whenever, and we'll figure out a time."

Magnus reached behind Natalie and pulled the door open for her. "It was a pleasure meeting you." She said sincerely.

"The pleasure's all ours." Magnus chuckled, offering his hand again. Natalie shook it, and nodded politely at Alec again as she stepped out into the hallway.

"Bye now." Magnus called after her, as she began walking towards the stairs. She turned and waved over her shoulder, like a giddy child.

Alec's heart didn't slow until after the door was shut again, and he was sitting back down on the couch. He hadn't realized he'd been nervous- the feeling had kind of been buried as he spoke. But when the time came for her to leave . . . it was like being handed a report card, with absolutely no clue what the grade was.

"How'd we do?" Magnus asked curiously, scooping the chairman (whom had emerged from the bedroom as Natalie left) up into his arms.

Alec glanced over at Magnus, his eyebrows raised. _How'd we do_? Well, she seemed to like them. This was good. But how sincere had she been? Did they really have a shot, or was she just leading them on?

God, what if she was just leading them on?

Magnus could sense the stress rolling off Alec, and gave him a half smile. He raised his hands dramatically, and with a snap of his fingers, a steaming Styrofoam cup was on the counter behind Alec. The shadowhunter wasn't fazed by the theft anymore- Magnus promised he put money in the tip jars now. Alec wasn't sure if he believed him, though, but he guessed it didn't matter.

"Thanks." Alec muttered, lifting the cup to his lips. He wrinkled his nose at the scent of the unfamiliar tea, but took a brave sip anyway.

"Seriously though, how'd you think we did?" Magnus cut in again.

Alec let out a short sputtering laugh as he swallowed his tea. Alec noticed that Magnus looked like an excited little boy, especially with the chairman clutched in his arms. The shadowhunter shook his head, chuckling lightly, at Magnus's giddy expression.

"How'd _you _think we did?" Alec challenged, taking another gulp of his tea as he leaned back against the counter.

Magnus's cat eyes gleamed, and an almost smug grin crossed his lips. "I think we did great," He stated confidently. "I think we smoked the rest of the competition. She loves us, and she'll be crazy if she doesn't pick us."

""Competition?"" Alec repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean," Magnus said, with an eye roll added as well.

"No, I don't think I do."

The warlock gave the other male a look, which earned him a laugh.

Magnus smirked then, and the chairman automatically jumped out of his hands. Magnus strode over to Alec and let the shadowhunter wrap an arm around his waist. Magnus wrapped his own arm around Alec's shoulders, and let out a relived sigh.

It was times like those when Alec really remembered why he loved Magnus. Even though they had to deal with a lot- downworld and shadowhunters and the mortality issue for example- they could still just be together. They could get through it.

Like adoption. It was hard, but they were getting through it.

"You know, you never answered me; how do you think he did?" Magnus piped up again.

Alec just laughed.

**This was inspired by (spoiler, I guess?) Cassandra Clare's tweet saying Alec and Magnus were getting married and adopting. **

**I might continue it…I don't know. What do you think? Should I? Or is it fine as a oneshot?**

**Let me know what you think, and thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

Alec's heart was beating in a fast steady rhythm within his chest. His breathing was quiet, deep, but the fast rise and fall of his torso gave away his true exertion. Sweat dripped down the back of his neck and stained his shirt rather unattractively, but he didn't care. His mindset was one of a warrior at the moment- he could focus on nothing else but battle.

The floor didn't give beneath his feet, though normally they would've been creaky from the weight; it remained silent due to the runes inscribed on Alec's flesh. The runes burning into his skin were a comfort; he itched to add more, but the rules of the game had been clearly stated by his opponent, and Alec wasn't one to cheat. _Especially_ when he was confident he could win.

The blades in his hands were light and balanced- perfect for throwing. It was a shame he didn't know _where_ to throw them. Alec mentally kicked himself for not drawing a night vision rune when he had the chance.

Originally, Alec had planned to spend the day at the Institute training with Isabelle. The younger Lightwood sibling had long since completed her shadowhunter studies, but sometimes invited her brother back to review. In all honesty, it was usually just an excuse so the two could visit.

Alec had really wanted to talk about all the adoption stuff with his sister. He wanted to tell her everything about Natalie's visit and everything she had said. He wanted his sister's opinion, her judgement. He cared for no one's opinion more than hers.

Well, her and Jace's. And of course Magnus's.

Today, though, Isabelle had been busy with another visiting shadowhunter. Alec had been prepared to return home, when another Institute inhabitant invited him to partake in a friendly little brawl.

And, well, that's what he was doing now.

The sound of a single, light footstep behind him perked Alec's ears like a dogs. He remained quiet, absolutely no give away to his position in the darkness, and waited.

. . .

. . .

_Creak_.

The floorboards shifted under someone's weight behind him, and a small smile crossed Alec's lips. He waited, bending his knees as he prepared for the attack.

And soon it came. His attacker leapt- the flooring groaning in protest- and let out a rather loud exhale in the process. Alec moved the same time he did- he jumped forward, out of his opponent's path. Instead of knocking Alec to the floor like he had hoped, the attacker fell to the floor himself with a rather loud _thud_.

Alec might have forgotten the night vision rune, but at least he hadn't forgotten a silent one like the poor sucker trying to take him down.

The more experienced shadowhunter whirled, but Alec could already hear his opponent returning to their feet. In a real battle, Alec might not have found time to really enjoy the fight. But here, in training, he let himself laugh. It gave away his position, of course, but it didn't matter. He slashed out with one of his blades anyway, and it missed his target. Alec heard him shuffling backwards, out of the knives way.

_Battle's a great distraction_, Alec thought as he swung his knife through the air. He heard the odd, familiar sound of fabric ripping- he'd caught his opponent's shirt. He knew he didn't break skin though, so the game continued.

Alec's opponent let out their own laugh, and the next time Alec slashed forward with his blade, it was met with another. The ringing of sudden metal on metal was surprising, but Alec took it all in stride. He pulled back and swung again, lunging rather than slashing, but was blocked once more. Alec advanced, and his attacker moved backwards simultaneously.

Then, his opponent suddenly twisted their wrist the next time their weapons clashed. Alec, unprepared for the change, ducked low when the knife was suddenly torn from his left hand. It clattered to the floor a moment later, and once again, Alec kicked himself for his mistake.

"Dammit," He muttered into the dark, earning another laugh from his opponent.

Alec readjusted his grip on his one remaining blade, and tried to sink back into the comforting quiet and darkness. He couldn't. The other shadowhunter moved with Alec, refusing to let him get far enough away to plan an attack.

The Lightwood tensed his muscles and starred blindly in front of him. He was supposed to be practicing strategizes- things that would throw your opponent off. But how are you supposed to do that you're your opponent learned almost everything they know from you?

The fighters circled each other once, and Alec reached for the stele tucked into his boot. He knew it'd glow the moment it touched his skin, but maybe if he could draw a quick night vision rune-

He didn't even have time to finish the thought, before his opponent's blade was slicing down towards his right hand. Alec only let out a small hiss as the sword cut a shallow gash into the outer part of his hand. Surprise had caught him, and Alec's hand reflectively released and dropped the knife as blood began to swell from the cut.

Damn.

Alec exhaled, shaking out his newly injured hand in annoyance, and glared in the darkness at the other fighter. The shadowhunter knew by the sound of the second knife falling that Alec had let it go, that Alec had lost, and he had won. To say the least, he wasn't at all humble about it.

"I win!" The shadowhunter gloated, and Alec heard the loud clank as his opponent's sword was dropped to the ground. The shadowhunter cheered, and Alec shook his head in- though he wouldn't admit it- amusement.

"Asshole, you cut me." Alec muttered in a fake-mad voice. His opponent was used to it, and easily read the thinly veiled entertainment in his voice. The shadowhunter let out another whoop, and his footsteps were loud within the room.

Suddenly, the room came alive with light. The training room lights were flicked on, and Alec blinked in an attempt to force his eyes to adjust. He squinted, even though the room was typically quite dull. Compared to the darkness he was just in- this was like starring at the sun.

Isabelle stood by the door, leaning against the wall, with her hand still held over the light switch. She grinned at her brother, before quickly turning her attention to her boyfriend.

"Izzy," Simon said, as if preparing for a long enjoyable trip down memory lane. "Let me quickly explain what just happened,"

"You were playing with my brother in a pitch black room?" She teased, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Ha, ha." He muttered sarcastically before continuing on in his exaggerated gloat-y state. "I- _the mundane_\- beat your brother- a shadowhunter_ from birth_\- in a fight." Despite Ascending several years before, the nickname "mundane" still hung around ol' Simon. He hated it, but it was there.

"I would've killed you in a real fight." Alec assured, wiping the small dribble of blood off the back of his hand on his pants. He wanted to mention that if he had made the rules for their sudden spar instead of Simon, he totally would've helped it in his favor like the former-mundane had. He didn't say this, though.

"_I would've killed you in a_ . . ." Simon mimicked, before being silenced by a slap to the ribs from Isabelle. The two chuckled, and Simon finally started coming down from his oddly-hyper-post-win high. Alec watched as the two of them chatted, Isabelle mindlessly lacing her fingers through Simon's. He couldn't imagine his sister doing that kind of things a few years before.

Simon's skin had now been long decorated with runes. The faded ones left pale silver scars along his collarbone and arms, while the permanent ones stood out harshly against his fair skin. Age was also showing up more on Simon's face, as it did on everyone's. His features weren't as babyish- they had become more defined- and he had grown slightly more muscular after ascending. A result of all the hard training, no doubt.

Isabelle hadn't been able to avoid the changes that came with aging either. Her features were becoming sharp, and her high cheekbones seemed to be envy-worthy. She had cut her hair just above her shoulders a year or two back, and had maintained that length ever since. Alec wasn't sure if the gold flecks in her eyes were becoming more noticeable, or if he only thought so because Simon wouldn't shut up about them.

"C'mon," The former-vampire says now. "I'm starving. Who's up for MacDonald's?"

Isabelle lets out a mumbled "ew," in response, while Alec just chuckles. The effects of the agility and speed runes he had applied were already fading, and the exhaustion from his workout was catching up to him. He glanced up at Simon and Isabelle, both striding from the room while arguing about proper fast-food places. They made a good couple, he could admit.

Alec wiped a bead of sweat off his brow and jogged towards the door, where he had abandoned his duffle bag when he arrived. He scooped up the bag and balanced it on his hip, awkwardly beginning to rummage around inside.

Alec pulled his phone free from his jeans pockets for a moment, and pressed the home button. The screen lit to life, and the message; _MAGNUS: MISSED CALL_ blinked up at him, along with a handful of texts. Alec glanced down at himself, then back to the phone. He'd feel much more up to phoning Magnus back once he was cleaned up, Alec decided.

He let the phone fall back into the duffle bag before pulling his sweatshirt and jeans from the bag, and then again dropped it on the ground. He strode towards the change room, already beginning to pull his sweaty t-shirt off his back.

Alec changed swiftly- he discarded his socks (which, admittedly, smelled pretty rank) and pulled his shoes onto bare feet. He didn't even bother putting a clean t-shirt on under his sweater.

The shadowhunter glanced at himself in the mirror. His dark hair looked fairly greasy and moist with sweat, and he wrinkled his nose at the sight. He was greatly anticipating the moment he could get home and shower.

When Alec emerged from the change room again Isabelle was waiting for him with a water bottle, which she extended to her brother when he neared.

"I thought you were getting me food." He noted, before unscrewing the cap and gulping down a drink of the water.

Isabelle raised her eyebrow at him. "You like that stuff?"

"Not really, but I just figured you would've brought me back something anyway." Alec said as he wiped his wetted lips on his and sleeve passed the water bottle back to the woman.

The female shadowhunter nodded, agreeing with his statement. "True. But no, I let Simon go out there on his own." She lifted her eyebrows and lowered her voice when she spoke again; "He's going to meet up with Rebecca."

Alec gave her an understanding nod. When Simon ascended, the Clave had been desperate for new shadowhunters. They would've agreed to any terms necessary to make sure the existence of the half angels continued- aka, to make sure that more mundanes ascended. So, they agreed that Simon could keep a few ties to his mundane life- and that included Rebecca. Of course, there were terms that came with the agreement; he couldn't tell anyone about the shadow world, he couldn't let his mundane ties interfere with his duties, etc.

And, much to Simon's credit, he didn't abuse his privilege. He visited his family only on very few occasions, and had come up with an elaborate lie as to why he was never home- he had moved in with his girlfriend. This was partially true, except for the fact that Simon's mother thought he was living in an apartment in Clifton, New Jersey instead of an Institute only a handful of magical people could see.

"And- no offense- but you might need to work on your attacks. I mean, disarmed by _Simon_?" Isabelle laughed softly, easily steering the conversation away from Rebecca. "I love him, but the boy's usually no match for you."

She always speaks so highly of her boyfriend.

"Oh- and you might want to check your phone." Isabelle said suddenly.

Alec blinked, surprised, and then furrowed his eyebrows. "I already did- Magnus left a message, I know. I'm gonna' call him back in a minute-"

They were both interrupted by the familiar sound of an apple phone vibrating. Despite the setting being called "silent," the vibrating was actually quite loud in a quiet room. "He's called twice since I've been in here." The younger Lightwood remarked as Alec dove into his bag in search of the phone he had discarded earlier.

"Why didn't you answer it?" Alec questioned as tore through the bag. Isabelle opened her mouth to explain- "Last time I answered your phone you told me never to again-" but didn't get a chance before Alec was finally pulling the phone free and hitting the answer button.

"Hi, yeah, I'm here." He said in a rush, substituting the normal hello.

"Where've you been? I've called you- what is it- four times now!" Magnus huffed in an overly-dramatic way. Alec could hear him yelling for a taxi a moment later, and then his muffled swearing when one must have driven by him. "God damn cabbies," Alec heard Magnus mutter.

"What are you doing?" Alec questioned, giving Isabelle a sideways glance as if she'd know. She shrugged at his glance, and Alec turned his focus back onto whatever Magnus was saying.

"Natalie called," Magnus explained in a rush. "You know how she said her mother wanted to meet us?"

Alec did.

"Well she wants to meet us. Today. In about fifteen minutes." Magnus said. "Can you get there?"

"Wait- hold on, hold on. Natalie's _mother_ wants to _meet us_?" Alec repeated. Natalie's mother- the grandmother of their possible-future-child? Alec's stomach dropped. He recalled Natalie bringing the meeting up, but he didn't think she was _serious_\- And in fifteen minutes? Why was Magnus just telling him now? Alec glanced at the phone pressed to his cheek, and recalled the other missed phone calls from Magnus. He must have been trying to reach him for some time . . .

"Just tell me, can you get there?" Magnus asked a second time. The warlock sounded stressed, which didn't do anything to help Alec.

"Well, tell me where "there" is."

"Our apartment."

"She invited herself to _our_-" Alec didn't let himself finish that statement; He quickly realized it wasn't important, but pulled his phone away from his face. Along with the call time, his clock was there as well. Could he make it?

"Give me twenty and I'll see what I can do." Alec said firmly, as if he were arranging a business meeting. Perhaps that was what it was. A very important, very sudden, business meeting.

Magnus sighed, and though it wasn't completely in relief, he sounded warmer when he spoke again. "I'll see you there."

Alec nodded, even though he knew Magnus couldn't see him. "Yep."

Then they both clicked off their phones.

Alec caught his sister's gaze as he began stuffing the contents of his duffle bag back inside. Her eyebrow was raised in curiosity.

"I'll tell you later." He promised, hastily yanking the zipper shut.

"You better." Isabelle retorted, just as Alec rose to his feet again and swung his bag over his shoulder. He gave her an apologetic smile, though he didn't really know what he had to apologize for, and slipped past her into the hall.

* * *

**So, I decided to update this. I've had this chapter idea kicking around for a while, so I figured I might as well jot it down- especially considering I've been procrastinating my other stories. **

**This (and the next chapter) were actually supposed to be one big chapter, but I didn't know how to get them to flow together nicely. Note: I haven't edited them at all, so excuse any spelling mistakes! (same goes for the last chapter)**

**Let me know what you think, and thank you for checking this out!**


	3. Chapter 3

Alec had no luck during his return home. First, he couldn't hail a cab. Maybe because he was slightly dressed like a hobo? He wasn't sure, only that it took him a good handful of minutes to finally be picked up, and he was shivering by that time. (Late November sucked for things like that- waiting for cabs, walking, chasing demons. It was an awful month.)

When he was finally in the taxi, he realized he didn't have enough money to get home, so he had to be dropped off a few blocks away, and _run_ to his apartment. He flew up the stairs, pounded on the door, and doubled over quickly so he could heave in heavy breaths before Magnus opened the door.

Magnus had obviously had enough time to come home and shower. His hair was still partly wet, and it shone in the lights of the apartment. He was wearing plain denim jeans and what appeared to be one of Alec's sweaters. He looked normal, which was un-normal for Magnus.

Obviously, his husband had been giving him the once over too.

"You look awful," He noted, scrunching up him nose at the smell of Alec's gym bag.

Alec gave him a warning look and pushed past him. He dropped his things on the ground- all except his sweaty duffel bag, and began walking to the bathroom.

"Good to see you, Alec," A voice behind him said. Alec froze. No- no, he couldn't have been late. He couldn't-

As he turned to face the voice, Alec saw that the clock read 5:43. He'd left at 5:02.

Damn.

Alec turned and saw Natalie, in a loose sweater dress with tights, sitting on his couch smiling at him. And when he turned even slightly more to the right, he saw a stern-looking woman rising out of one of the chairs.

Joan Paul- Natalie's mother.

"Hi, Joan, it's a pleasure to meet you." Alec gushed, still panting from his short sprint from the taxi. He thrust his hand out for a shake and let his gym bag slip off his shoulder and onto the carpet.

Joan's eyes slid down Alec, head to toe. He couldn't help but notice the hardly-hidden scowl that crossed her face at the sight of his wrinkled sweatshirt and sweaty hair.

Joan herself looked even more put together than Alec had anticipated. Her graying hair was short- definitely shorter than Alec's- and was combed back behind her ears, which each held one simple golden stud. Her skin was lighter than her daughter's- and where Natalie had been short and curvy, Joan was tall and pencil thin.

She looked too clean cut to be in his apartment, which Magnus had recently decorated with antique knick-knacks and mismatched furniture he'd acquired over the years, which collectively would probably sell for thousands of dollars on today's market. Alec looked around the apartment almost self-consciously, his eyes lingering on his belongings. They hadn't had a chance to clean, so his clothes and weaponry were strung on basically every imaginable surface.

Natalie had made herself quite comfortable, despite the mess. She was leaning on the armrest of the couch with her feel pulled up beside her, and her sneakers had been kicked off onto the floor. She was already holding a steaming cup of coffee, which filled the room with its strong scent.

Joan glanced down at his extended hand hesitantly before returning the gesture and curling her fingers around his. She looked at their interlocked fingers and her face wrinkled with disgust when she saw the cut on the outer side of his hand. He'd forgotten about that. She gave his hand one firm shake before she spoke;

"Likewise," The woman said. "Natalie's told me a lot about you too. You're a Shadowhunter- a Lightwood, correct?"

"Well- yes." Alec said, and then lightly pointed towards Magnus, whom now had his thumbs tucked inside his jeans pockets. "The Clave still sees me as a Lightwood, but otherwise I consider myself to be-"

"May I offer my congratulations to your sister," She cut him off. "Head of the New York Institute is quite a position. I'll admit, I was surprised when I heard your mother moved to London. I thought the terms of her exile were to stay in New York."

Alec bristled. How did she even _know_ all this? Catarina must have been gossiping, the blue-skinned snitch.

"She was let out on good behaviour," Alec sarcastically mumbled under his breath, hating the way Joan referred to his mother.

Magnus shot him a look – like a scolding parent – and smiled extra-cheerfully at Joan. "Would you like some wine? Or maybe some coffee? We just order some grinds straight from Africa; completely fair trade, and all that."

While Magnus distracted Joan with beverages, Alec slunk towards her daughter, and Natalie dropped her feet from the sofa to make room for him.

"Hey," He said as a way of greeting. Even though she was carrying his possible-future-child, Alec didn't feel nearly as stressed talking to her as he had to Joan.

"Hey," she said back. She nodded towards Joan, whom was being passed a mug filled to the brim with coffee. "I'm sorry about my mom. I know she can be a bit . . ."

Stuck-up? Pretentious? Rude as hell?

". . .much."

"Yeah, she really is . . . something," Alec said, low enough so Joan couldn't hear him.

Natalie sighed, and after throwing a glance at her mother, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and ducked her head. "She wasn't too happy with me about the whole pregnancy thing. She was even less impressed when I told her I was putting her up for adoption."

"Her?" Alec injected quickly, his heart stuttering in his chest. Natalie just laughed and shook her head.

"My doctor says it's too early to tell. I just like saying "her" or "him," so I can avoid saying "it."" She explained, giving her basically-flat stomach a light pat.

Alec let out a breath, and Natalie trudged on. "Anyway, she wasn't happy with me. First she told me "You're too young to raise a child!" and as soon as I told her about the adoption, she told me "of course you can raise it alone; I did!""

Natalie paused, realizing her voice had risen much louder than she'd intended. The two both glanced over Alec's shoulder, but were relieved to see Joan and Magnus in a deep conversation. From what Alec could pick out, it sounded like they were talking about how unsafe Magnus's wobbly fridge was.

"Raise it alone . . ." Alec began slowly, "You said the other day that you and . . . the baby's father, broke up. I was just wondering why that all went down."

When she stiffened, Alec regretted his question.

"I mean, I understand if you wouldn't want to-"

"No, no, that's fine." Natalie assured, though she didn't sound as cheery as she had. She stared down at her mug for a while, and Alec felt like slapping himself. Great- he ruined their chances of becoming parents, all because he asked a stupid question.

"Um . . ." Natalie mumbled, trying to look for a place to start. She shifted uncomfortably- _Great, I made her uncomfortable_\- in her seat and set her mug down of the coffee table. "Well, his name's Cody. I met him when during our last year of high school. We dated for maybe a year and a half? I'm not sure. Um . . . we were already fighting, when . . . this," she gestured to her belly. "happened. It was kind of a break-up/make-up thing, you know?"

Alec knew, but he was not interested in knowing that.

"You probably don't want to know that," Natalie said with an awkward laugh, tucking more hair behind her ear. "When I found out I was pregnant, I didn't know what to do. I knew I couldn't raise her by myself, and there was no way Cody's mom would've let him do it if he'd wanted to. We had to decide between getting married or putting him up for adoption."

Opening her arms wide, she let out a laugh. "So here we are," Natalie said. She dropped her hands and they hit her thighs with an awkward _slap_. Alec watched her face, and he saw that it wasn't 100% happy. A part of her, maybe a small part, or maybe a huge part, had wanted to marry Cody. She'd wanted that perfect little family, the same perfect little family Alec and Magnus were trying to build.

It made him feel bad.

Not bad enough to change his mind, but still pretty bad.

"I'm sorry I brought it up," Alec mumbled sincerely. "I didn't mean to make you upset."

Natalie shook her head and placed a reassuring pat on Alec's knee, the way he'd seen mundane grown-ups do. "Don't be. I'm not upset, not really. Just . . . emotional, I guess. And I don't regret this. You guys- if I pick you- are going to make fantastic parents. Better than I ever could be. Please don't feel bad on my account; Trust me, I'm glad there are people like you willing to raise my baby."

Alec and Natalie shared another warm- if not still slightly embarrassed- smile, and he tried to quell his nerves. _She just told you it's okay, so act okay, you idiot_, Alec urged himself.

"Natalie, Darling," Joan's voice suddenly cooed. Alec and Natalie both perked up, their eyes flying to the older woman. "I have to get going. Apparently one of my patients came in for their appointment early and refuses to leave until I get there."

Joan, with her smart little haircut and professional looking clothes, strode over to Natalie, bend straight at the waist, and placed a quick kiss on the top of her girl's head.

"Magnus, please do replace that old refrigerator. I can't have it toppling over and crushing my grandchild. And I don't assume you'll be keeping that cat, will you? I wouldn't trust him not to scratched the baby." She said as a ways of parting. Alec threw Magnus a look, and he shrugged.

"Thank you for the coffee, I hope to see you again some time." She said over her shoulder as she walked with Magnus to the door. "Natalie, call me as soon as you're home safely."

"I will," Natalie called, just as Alec called out a goodbye.

And just like that, Joan slipped out the door, and Magnus firmly closed it behind her.

His friendly smile- which he wore for the entirety of her visit- slipped, and underneath he looked exhausted.

"How dare you leave me alone to deal with her while you sat and talked?" Magnus chastised, his finger wagging between Natalie and Alec. Alec was surprised by Magnus's comment- surely he wouldn't be saying that right to Natalie's face?- but she surprised him even more by throwing her head back and laughing.

"C'mon, she wasn't even that bad," Natalie defended playfully.

"She was nagging me about my fridge. _My Fridge_." Magnus challenged.

"At least she didn't give you the "how to baby-proof your househandout" I saw her print out the other day."

"You're kidding,"

"Nope. But in all honesty, she didn't even hound you guys too hard. She got under your skin-" She gave Alec a look, but it was still friendly. "But she went way easier on you guys than I thought she would. I think she likes you."

"If that's how she acts when she likes you, I'd hate to see how she act's when she doesn't." Alec piped in, with a half grin creeping onto his face.

"You wouldn't live long enough to find out," Natalie promised, leaning forward to grab her half-filled coffee mug. Magnus stood behind the couch, and rested his elbows beside Alec's head.

"Do _you_ like us?" Magnus asked, trying to hide his worry and curiosity with playfulness.

Alec watched Natalie as she took a sip of her coffee, the mere seconds it took her to reply feeling like an eternity. _If she doesn't like us, that's it. We're done. We'll have to start all over again, and I don't know if I can_, Alec mentally chanted to himself.

"Yes, I like you guys." Natalie assured with a smile as soon as she lowered the mug.

Magnus and Alec visibly relaxed.

"You know I can't promise you guys anything, yet. Another couple asked to meet me in a few days, and I won't be able to give you guys an answer until after that. I'll have an answer for you by Christmas, at the latest."

"We understand," Alec said, trying to keep his voice neutral.

"Thank you for considering us at all," Magnus added, straightening his spine and walking around to take the seat on the other side of the coffee table. "We've been looking for years for a candidate that was as . . . perfect, as you are."

"Ooh, I could get used to someone calling me perfect," Natalie said jokingly, pretending to toss her hair (which was once again tied back at the nape of her neck) over her shoulder. She laughed, and Alec could tell she was becoming more comfortable with them. With their apartment- blades and knick-knacks and all- and he was surprised with how happy that made him.

She looked between Magnus and Alec, and her eyes softened. "Thank you for being the perfect candidates, too."

**Ah, this chapter ended with so much cheese. So, **_**so**_** much cheese. Ah well. Let me know what you thought- was it too wordy, too boring, do you like it, do you hate it; let me know!**


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